Narrative perspectives in theory and therapy

Abstract

A constructivist analysis of representation is first offered, to provide a basis for a definition of narrative as a form of representation in which events are organized in meaningful sequence. After an explication and comparison of the positions on the use of narrative taken by Efran and Neimeyer, a third, more radical constructivist orientation to narrative in psychology is presented. This orientation is based on the concept of perspective by incongruity, a concept critical to the analysis of conceptual change in many arenas, including psychotherapy. The development of the narrative concept in constructivist psychology can be furthered through a combination of the disciplined analysis of discrete narratives and a more sweeping narrative perspective that addresses all human mentation.